Scottish Executive

Bute House

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many private functions or receptions have been held at Bute House since 1 May 2003 and on what dates.

Mr Andy Kerr: Bute House is the official residence of the First Minister and both official and private engagements are held there. The Executive does not arrange the First Minister’s private events or bear the cost of them and does not maintain a record of them.

Bute House

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the purpose was of the reception held on the evening of 11 March 2004 at Bute House; whether it was a private function; whether any of the public areas of Bute House were used for the reception, and whether the cost of catering was met from public funds.

Mr Andy Kerr: No reception, nor any other hospitality event, was held in Bute House on the evening of 11 March 2004.

Bute House

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings have been held at Bute House since 1 May 2003, detailing the date of each meeting, who attended and the cost of the catering.

Mr Andy Kerr: Meetings are held in Bute House for a wide range of purposes. The Cabinet meets there regularly and there are also frequent meetings of Cabinet Sub-Committees and informal meetings of ministers and officials. Bute House is also used to welcome visitors of all kinds who have a reason to meet ministers. No central record covering all such occasions is held.

Bute House

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what receptions or other functions have been held at Bute House since 1 May 2003, detailing the date of function, who attended and the cost of the catering.

Mr Andy Kerr: Bute House is the official residence of the First Minister and a range of official and private engagements are held there. A list of the official functions hosted by Ministers at Bute House since 1 May 2003 is provided below. Some of these events were not a call on Scottish Executive funds. The total cost to date to the Scottish Executive is £14,350.

  No central records are kept of attendance at functions.

  The costs of private functions do not fall to the Executive and the Executive does not record them.

  Official functions hosted by Scottish Executive Ministers at Bute House

  Date Occasion

  19 June Dinner: President Martini of Tuscany

  30 June Lunch - Bavarian European Minister

  10 Aug Reception - Home Reading Champions

  11 Aug Dinner: Children’s Voluntary Organisations

  12 Aug Reception - Edinburgh International Festival

  16 Aug Reception - Edinburgh Military Tattoo

  7 Sept Reception - World Route Development Forum

  8 Sept Reception: Sustainable Development Commission

  14 Nov Reception - ENABLE

  29 Sept Reception: NHS Trust Chairs

  2 Oct Dinner: Senior Executives of NEC

  6 Oct Dinner: Senior Executives of Agilent Technologies

  3 Nov Reception: Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Steering Group

  6 Nov Lunch: European Investment Bank

  10 Nov Dinner: Flat Programme Innovators

  26 Nov Reception: International Association for Volunteer Effort

  3 Dec Reception - Parliamentarians

  10 Dec Reception: Local Authority Housing Managers

  18 Dec Reception - Scottish Media

  12 Jan Dinner: Strategic Group for Women

  19 Jan Dinner: Participants in Life Sciences Tour

  24 Jan Dinner - Representatives of Civic & Corporate Scotland

  4 Feb Dinner - Commonwealth Games Trust

  10 Feb Dinner - Chief Constables

  6 March Dinner - Representatives of Civic & Corporate Scotland

  16 March Presentation of Hon CBE to Prof Bernard King

  17 March Dinner: Representatives of Education Stakeholder interests

  24 March Dinner: Representatives of Education Stakeholder interests

  29 March Dinner: Representatives of Education Stakeholder interests.

NHS Waiting Lists

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children with disabilities were on waiting lists for respite services in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.

Official Receptions

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many receptions and functions hosted by the First Minister have been held at locations other than Bute House since 1 May 2003, detailing the date on which such function was held, the location of each function, who attended and what the cost was of hire of the facilities and the catering.

Mr Andy Kerr: A list of the official receptions and functions hosted by Ministers at Scottish locations other than Bute House since 1 May 2003 is provided below. Some of the events were not a call on Scottish Executive funds. The total cost to date to the Scottish Executive is £52,094.

  No central records are kept of attendance at functions.

  Official functions hosted by Scottish Executive Ministers at Scottish venues other than Bute House:

  Date Occasion and Venue

  12 June Reception - International Hepatitis C Conference

  Edinburgh Castle

  1 July Dinner - 400th Anniversary of the Union of the Crowns

  Royal Museum

  6 Sept Reception - Boys’ Brigade UK Council Annual Meeting

  Tulliallan Castle

  8 Sept Dinner: 9th World Route Development Forum

  Palace of Holyroodhouse

  6 Oct Reception - Police Heroes

  Edinburgh Castle

  27 Oct Reception - 15th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers

  28 Oct Dinner - 15th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers

  Royal Museum

  4 Nov Reception - MTV Awards

  Edinburgh Castle

  7 Nov Reception - Atlantic Treaty Assembly

  Edinburgh Castle

  14 Nov Charity Dinner - Children in Scotland

  Edinburgh Castle

  30 Nov St Andrew’s Day Address

  Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama

  22 Jan Reception - Scottish Executive Lothian Lecture

  Royal College of Physicians

  22 Jan Dinner - Centenary of Entente Cordiale

  Edinburgh Castle

  9 March Reception - Children’s Panel Members

  Edinburgh Castle

  16 March Reception - 25th Anniversary of the National

  Youth Orchestras of Scotland

  Edinburgh Castle

  18 March Reception - Marshall Scholars

  Edinburgh Castle.

Official Receptions

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to publish a monthly list of all functions, receptions or other meetings held in Bute House, detailing who attended and the cost of catering for each such function or meeting.

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to publish a monthly list of all functions and receptions hosted by the First Minister at locations other than Bute House detailing who attended each such function and what the cost was of hiring the facilities and catering.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are no plans to publish such a list.

Rail Network

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many railway stations have (a) opened and (b) reopened in each year since 1970.

Nicol Stephen: Sixty nine stations have been opened or reopened since 1970.